First day back from break was tough, probably understandably so. It was also ridiculously long - I got to school at 9 this morning and worked on my seminar paper research then had lunch and Korean class. Afterwards I sorted out the details of Operation Babylift, went to Trademarks, did more work on seminar paper research, and finally met with L to do dinner at Ibby's with the panelists. L and I were there early so we played a game of "guess if those people are part of our party" because I had never met and thus didn't recognize any of the panelists I was supposed to meet for our reservation. We failed the game when a group of them walked past us and were seated before we realized that, actually, yes, they were in our party and we should be introduced and seated as well.
Ibby's was really nice, one of those fancy sit-down places where just reading the menu makes my mouth water. Possibly I'm just craving non-Asian food though. Dinner was good, admittedly a little awkward at times before people settled down in their seats and struck up decent conversation. Tammy, the filmmaker, was very eloquent - very young and quite pretty too. I was more impressed with her eloquence though, and her passion for her film - I'm sure she had to be passionate about the project, considering that it took 4.5 years to complete and she had over 40 hours of film in the end. Apparently the first rough cut was 3.5 hours before she finally cut it down to 73 minutes.
L and I chatted with Tammy's husband about law school and where we grew up and some with Professor A about adoption law and cases, all over delicious (free!) food. I had a salad with mixed lettuce, candied pecans, dried cranberries, blue cheese, and a raspberry vinaigrette - so good. I love sweet salads, I do. And then I had maple-glazed shrimp - I knew I would be ordering that as soon as I saw the menu because I have been craving shrimp for nigh on a month now. Still craving it, in fact - it was a light dinner so our menu included only "small plates" and that translated to "not nearly enough shrimp for Mei".
We trekked over to the law school after dinner, making the most of the light. As much as I ahte losing an hour to go on daylight savings, it really is made up for the fact that we have light much longer into the day. The trade-off for gaining the hour in the fall is offset by darkness at five and an abrupt end to any productivity. S commented that you feel like the day ends when it gets dark, so there goes the night. It's absolutely true. I feel like a heliophilic plant, I swear - I thrive off sunlight and can't operate well without it. The night makes me close to useless.
In any case, we welcomed in the flood of attendees (I was really happy to see how many people turned out) and I did a brief welcome. Professor A introduced Tammy, who introduced her film, and then the lights fell and we got to the movie screening. I really don't know what to say about it except that it was really such a good documentary. Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam - I hereby officially recommend it. It is so emotionally impacting; it leaves a strong impression, stirs the levels of human empathy. The panel afterwards was really good too, with a lot of people speaking up to offer their own experiences and stories. I was surprised at how many people who attended the screening had personal connections to intercountry adoption or to the Vietnamese adoptees in particular. Overall, I'd say the event was a success and I'm really pleased that it turned out so well. I'm so happy we got to show the film and had Tammy come. I definitely left feeling emotionally (and mentally) enriched. So even though it went on 'til 9pm meaning I was at school for 12 straight hours - it was worth it. It was a very moving film.
Now to set L on the thank you notes - such few words can mean so much! As proved by the Bursons' gratitude at being invited to an event they so graciously and generously sponsored with their student activities fund. I'll need to include Events Planning in the thank yous, too. It's such a simple thing, a basic courtesy, and it makes me sad that my generation doesn't seem to remember those niceties unless formally reminded or rebuked. Birthday cards, thank you notes, Christmas cards - I hope I never reach a point where I don't make the effort. Some things deserve the personal, tangible touch.
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